Polk resigned from the federal government to join the University of Chicago as professor of history in 1965, where he taught for ten years and established its Center for Middle Eastern Studies, serving as Founding Director.[1]

Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the British Mandate to the American Occupation (2005). HarperCollins hardcover: ISBN0-06-076468-6, paperback: ISBN0-06-076469-4

The Birth of America: From Before Columbus to the Revolution (2006). HarperCollins hardcover: ISBN0-06-075090-1